Beauty and the Beast
by x-menoriginsfreak34
Summary: Sam's daughter comes to live with him after the sudden death of her mother. Eric want's her. How does she know Godric? And why is it that every vampire wants her blood? Currently being edited.
1. Chapter 1

_**Alright, I've edited this a lot. Changed some parts, added and removed some sections, and fixed some typos. So I hope you like it. **  
><em>

_My feet pounded on the ground as I dodged trees left and right. How stupid was I to think I could outrun a vampire. At least he had given me somewhat of a head start. I made the stupid mistake the escapee always makes. I looked over my shoulder. Unfortunately, my foot caught in a root and I fell on my stomach, twigs poking my skin. _

_I rolled on to my back and closed my eyes. I knew it was too late. I felt a heavy weight settle itself on my chest. I gulped down the lump in my throat and slowly opened my eyes. Piercing blue eyes met my light brown ones. _

"Dakota?" My mother's voice sounded frantic. "Dakota!"

"What, Mom?"

"Get up, get dressed and come downstairs immediately."

I jumped out of bed and quickly changed into jeans and a t-shirt before running down the stairs.

"Mom, what's going on?"

"We need to leave town immediately."

"Why?"

"I'll explain when we get where we're going. Now go get some shoes and meet me in the car."

I ran back up the stairs and threw on a pair of converse, grabbed my phone and my iPod before running back downstairs and into the car. My mom was already there.

She closed the garage door before pulling out of the driveway. I thought I saw a flash of something in our yard, but when I looked it was gone. I settled back in my seat and watched the trees pass by.

"Mom, where are we going?" I asked almost an hour later.

"I'll tell you when we get there." _Still doesn't answer my questions. _

For some odd reason, I felt like someone was watching us. I had felt like this since we left our home in Dallas, Texas. My mother would never keep secrets from me.

Almost two hours later, we passed a Welcome to Louisiana sign. Why Louisiana? Suddenly, something flashed in front of the car. My mom slammed on the brakes, the car sliding a little on the road slick from the rain the night before. I looked up and there was a person standing in the middle of the road. A venomous grin found its way onto his face. Suddenly our doors were ripped off their hinges. I was grabbed around the middle and pulled out of my seat. I struggled against the cold arms, but it was useless. I was dragged to the man in the middle of the road.

He was tall. Taller than the vampire holding me. He had short black hair that was spiked and dark brown eyes. He was wearing a crimson button down shirt and black jeans.

He looked me up and down like I was a piece of steak. He took a deep breath before his fangs popped down.

"Wait. Lets drain the old one first." I looked over to my mom who was being held by a frizzy red haired vampire. The vampire holding me pushed me down on the asphalt of the road. They all stalked to my mom.

I closed my eyes and tried to block out the sounds. Suddenly there was another rush of air and a bunch of yelling. I squeezed my eyes tighter as I heard footsteps coming towards me.

A cold hand moved my hair out of my face and cold fingers traced along my neck.

"They didn't get this one." A soft voice said. "It's all right. You can open your eyes now." the person whispered.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw a person leaning over me. I rolled over onto my back and slowly sat up. I looked over and saw my mom covered in blood. I slowly got up to my feet, but nearly fell because of a searing pain in my ankle. The person beside me caught me. I looked up and nearly gasped.

He was pale. Very pale. But he looked young. Just a few years older than me. He had dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. I looked away and back at my mom. I slowly limped over to her.

"Dakota." She whispered as I fell to my knees beside her.

"I'm here Mom."

"Dakota, there's a folder in the glove compartment of the car. Take that and find your way to Bon Temps. Find Merlotte's bar and ask for Sam Merlotte. Give him that folder. It will explain everything. You must do this, Kota."

"I will mom."

"I will take her." The vampire with brown hair said.

"Thank you, Godric." _So his name is Godric._

He nodded to a different vampire before going to the car and grabbing a manila folder. He handed it to me before picking me up bridal style. He began to run, the wind slapping me in the face. I tucked my head into his chest to keep it out of the unusually cold air.

He stopped running when we got to a sign that read_ "Welcome to Bon Temps."_

"I cannot go any farther. Merlotte's is just a couple miles up the road. Good luck."

"Godric?" I asked before he left.

"Yes?"

"Thank you." He nodded once before speeding off.

Just my luck, it started to rain as daylight came. I stumbled my way the two miles, which seemed to take hours. I saw a sign that read _Merlotte's_ with an arrow pointed down a dirt road. I crossed the highway before stumbling down the dirt road.

The trees opened to a clearing where I found _Merlotte's Bar and Grill. _I stumbled, soaking wet to the door. How I wished I had brought a coat. I clutched the folder to my chest as I stumbled in.

There weren't many people in the bar, just a couple of men sitting in a booth. I limped up to the bar to a black man who was washing shot glasses. He looked up and smiled at me.

"What can I do for you, Sweet-pea?"

"I-is Sam Merlotte here?" I was trembling from the cold.

"He sure is. Let me go grab him for you."

He went into the back. I could feel eyes on me. I turned and glared at the two men who were now looking at me. I turned back to the bar when I heard footsteps. I almost gasped. A dark-blonde man entered the bar area. His eyes were a grey blue and he was wearing a blue and white plaid shirt tucked into a pair of jeans. He seemed familiar.

"I'm Sam." He said.

"M-my mom told me to give this to you." I handed him the folder.

He took it, opened it and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He read a couple lines before looking up at me.

"Why don't you come back into my office." He lead me into the back into a cozy looking office.

I sat down on the couch and he pulled a blanket out from under his desk. He wrapped it around my shoulders and I gladly excepted it. He moved his desk chair in front of me and pulled the rest of the items out of the folder. He started at what looked like a birth certificate.

"Did you know about this?" He asked, handing me the paper.

I read it over twice. It was my birth certificate. One line said Mary Weitz and the other said Sam Merlotte.


	2. Chapter 2

I stared at Sam with tears in my eyes. He stared back with an almost sick look on his face.

"I met your mom when I was in high school. We were both 17. To put it simply, we fell in love. She left a year later and moved to Dallas. I had no idea why, but I guess I do now. I...I loved your mother even when she moved. I still do. I would have been there every moment of every day for her. I promise you will be my first priority now, like you would have been if she would've told me." 

I opened my mouth to respond but I was cut off by the door opening. A blonde woman stepped into the door way. She couldn't have been more than 25. She had a slight tan probably from being out in the sun so much Sam's face almost turned green.

"Hey Sam- Oh, I'm sorry. I'll just..."

"No, it's alright. Sookie, this is Dakota, my daughter. Dakota, this is Sookie, one of the waitresses here and one of my good friends."

"Sam, I didn't know you had a daughter."

"Neither did I until about 5 minutes ago."

"If it helps, I think you'll make a great dad."

"Thanks. What did you need?"

"Oh, it's not important now." She turned and exited the office.

"She seems nice." I said.

"She is." He said with a smile on his face.

"You like her." I said grinning.

"How do you know that?" He asked grinning back.

"Woman's intuition."

"Brat. Well, I should get back out there. You can stay in here, you can go out there. I'm sorry I don't have anything planned. I wasn't expecting anyone."

My stomach growled, stopping me from saying anything.  
>"You're probably starving, huh. Well we'll just have to fix that."<p>

After I had officially met everyone that worked in the bar, I had mostly stayed in Sam's-I mean my dad's office.

I couldn't believe that she was actually gone. It seemed to soon, but I guess everyone has to go sometime. At least I wasn't alone.

"You must be exhausted." My head snapped to the doorway. Sam-my dad stood there. I nodded a couple times. "My trailer's this way." He held the door open for me.

We walked outside and around to the back where a blue and white trailer stood. Sam led me up the stairs and into the trailer.

"Sorry it's not much. I've been living alone for a while and this was all I needed. I don't have a room set up since I don't have guests often, but you can take my room and I'll sleep on the couch."

"Uh, I don't have anything to sleep in."

"Right." I followed him into a room in the back. He pulled a pair of plaid sweats and a green shirt out of a dresser. "You can borrow these until we can get you something. Bathroom's right next door." He handed me the clothes and went to leave the room.

"Dad?" He stopped in the doorway and faced me. "Thanks. Thanks for everything."


	3. Chapter 3

I had been living with my dad for a week when everything came crashing down. For some strange reason, I had grown close to Lafayette. He was like the older brother I never had. Sookie and Arlene were very motherly, especially Arlene. Tara was a little wary and usually stayed away from me.

I sat outside in the dirt, scratching my dad's Collie behind the ears. I heard someone walking up the dirt path. I looked up and saw Tara.

"Hey dog." she said before walking past me to where my dad was yelling inside the trailer. I rolled my eyes and went back to scratching the dog. 

Not two minutes later, there was more yelling, only this time there were two voices. I looked down at my dirty converse. "Just like momma and her boyfriend." I whispered. The Collie placed his head in my lap. I smiled and patted his head. "Good dog."

Later that evening, the bar was busy as usual. I was sitting behind the bar people watching.

"Hi Sookie." I said as she passed to fill two glasses with Bud.

"Oh, hi Dakota."

"That's a cute scarf." I said, referring to the green and white scarf around her neck.

"Why thank you." She said, fingering the scarf slightly. "Could you take this to table 4 for me?"

"Sure." I said, taking the glasses of Bud from her.

I made my way over to table 4, dodging people and chairs.

"Here you go." I said, setting the glasses in front of the couple.

"You're Dakota, right?" the young woman asked me. "Sam's daughter?"

"That's me." I said, giving her a smile.

"I'm Alex and this is my fiance Allen."

"Nice to meet you both."

"Likewise."

I made my way back to the bar.

"Tara called. She ain't coming in." Terry said.

"What? Hell, we're already short a waitress."

"Don't worry, Sam. We'll make it work." Sookie said, zooming past Lafayette and my dad.

"I can bar-tend." I said, leaning against the edge of the bar.

"Since when did you know how to bar tend?"

"My momma taught me when I was younger."

My dad threw an apron at me. "I'm not paying you."

"No problem."

"Sookie has been with that vampire." Arlene said coming up to where Rene sat.

"Nah, that's just bar talk." Rene said with his spicy Cajun accent.

"She told me so herself. Oh, my Lord. Suppose she gets pregnant. How in the world can she nurse a baby with fangs?"

"You just be her friend. She needs one now more than ever."

My dad watched Sookie as she delivered a plate of food to a customer. When she started walking back to the bar, he started walking towards her.

"Don't go anywhere. I need two more pitchers of Bud."

My dad grabbed the scarf that was around her neck and pulled it off before holding her head to the side.

"Hey! Keep your hands to yourself Sam Merlotte. You have no right to touch me." She attempted to push him away.

"You're a damn fool, you know that?" Everyone in the bar stopped what they were doing.

"What I do on my own time is no concern of yours," She turned towards the customers, "or any of y'all's." She turned back to my dad. "Yes, I had sex with Bill. And since every one of y'all's too chicken to ask, it was great." I swear my jaw about popped off and onto the bar floor. "I enjoyed every second of it. And if you don't like that, you can just fire me." She shoved her tray into my dad's chest before storming off.

I finished filling the two pitchers of Bud. The bar was extremely busy, so I guess it was a good thing I can multitask.

Suddenly, the door opened and three people walked in. I swear the whole bar seemed to freeze. The three went around looking at customers like a hunter stalking their prey.

"Get us three Tru Bloods," The tall, black haired one said.

"Y'all need to go somewhere else. This is a family place. Locals only." My dad said, stepping forward.

"Well we just closed the place up the road, so that makes us official citizens of Renard Parish. We're the new locals." My heart almost pounded out of my chest. He was one of the vampires that killed my mom, only his hair was now smoothed back instead of in spikes.

"My place, my rules."

"Discrimination against vampires is punishable by law in the great state of Louisiana. Personally, I don't give a fuck. But, I. Am. Thirsty." His eyes landed on me and he smirked. I started slowly make my way towards the kitchen, keeping my eyes locked onto his.

"You. Are. Not. Welcome. Here." My dad said, copying the vampire.

The black woman chuckled. "That shit only works in a private home." Thankfully the black haired one was distracted by Sookie.

He gasped a little. "How nice to see you again, Sookie."

I felt a hand wrap around my arm and I was dragged into the kitchen.

"You don't need to see this, Baby Cakes." Lafayette said. I peeked out from behind his shoulder and out into the bar.

I heard Sookie yell "Sam!" before my dad was slammed down on to the bar, a bald vampire holding his jaw.

"I'm going to reach down your throat and yank you inside out by your dick."

I went to yell out, but a hand was placed over my mouth. I looked up and Lafayette shook his head. I felt so helpless like I did when my mother was killed.

A different vampire came into the bar. "Stop this!" He shouted.

Lafayette let me go and I went around the bar and stood behind my dad. My heart was still pounding like I had run 20 miles.

I didn't sleep well that night. I kept falling asleep and waking up, seeing the bright blue eyes above me. But finally around 3:30 I finally fell into a deep sleep.

_I sat on the dirt ground, holding onto my side. I looked up and saw a tall, blonde man dressed all in black leaning over a blue haired man._

_"Eric." I whimpered. He looked behind at me, blood dripping down his chin._

_He appeared in front of me and grabbed my hand off my side. He moved it in front of his face. He deeply inhaled and his fangs popped down. He took two of my fingers in his mouth and I felt his tongue lick the blood off them. I closed my eyes, my breathing becoming labored from the pain in my side._

_He entwined his fingers with mine with one hand and gently cupped my face with the other. He leaned down until our noses were almost touching. _

_"I promise nothing will ever hurt you, Cupcake." I shivered as his cool breath fanned over my face. "Nothing will ever hurt you again." Tears began to gather in my eyes._

_"I….I love you, Eric." He moved down to my neck and his lips ghosted over the skin before his fangs scraped along the pulsing vein. _

_"I love you too____älskling_."_ He whispered._

I sat straight up in bed. I could still feel his cold breath over my neck. This strange man, Eric had been haunting my dreams for years.

I got out of bed and went into the living room to go to the person who had made them disappear for the last week. There was no one in the trailer.

_That's odd. _I thought. I grabbed my phone and dialed Sookie. No answer. I tried Arlene.

_"Hello?"_

"Hey, Rene, is Arlene there?" I asked.

_"Yeah, hold on a sec." _I could hear him shoutintg for her in the background.

_"Hello?"_

"Hey Arlene. I was wondering if you've seen my dad today."

_"Sorry Sweet Cheeks, I haven't. Is he not home?"_

"No. I don't know where he'd be. He usually wakes me up before he goes to the bar."

_"Hold on for 5 minutes and I'll be there."_

"Thanks Arlene."

_"No problem Sweet Cheeks."_

I hung up and sat on the couch. My dad's Collie looked at me. "Where could he have gone?"


	4. Chapter 4

I woke up to a wet nose against my face. I opened my eyes and saw my dad's Collie. He sniffed my face again before licking my forehead.

"Hey, boy." I smiled at him and gently stroked his soft fur.

"Oh, you're awake." I looked into the kitchen and saw Arlene standing there with a bowl in hand.

"Hey, Arlene."

"Hi, Sweet Cheeks. You were asleep when I got here, so I just let myself in. Your dad had to take care of an emergency. He'll be back soon." I nodded. My dad's Collie ran outside.

I went back to the bathroom and did my business before changing out of my pj's. The sweet smell of hot cakes met my nose when I stepped out of the bathroom. I sat down at the table and Arlene put a plate of hot cakes and bacon in front of me.

"Thank you so much, Arlene."

Suddenly the door opened and my dad stepped into the trailer, wearing the same clothes he had on last night.

"Hey Baby girl." He seemed out of breath. He came over to me and brushed the bangs out of my face before kissing my forehead in the exact same place the Collie had licked me.

"Thank you so much, Arlene," he said.

"It's not a problem. Hey, you ever need anything, just give me a call. I should probably get back to the kids. Knowing Rene, he's still sleeping and the kids are probably hungry." She grabbed her purse before leaving the trailer.

"I'm gonna go take a shower. You eat up kiddo."

My dad patted my head and smiled at me before going back to the bathroom. The Collie came back into the house and sat at my feet. He placed his head in my lap and stared up at me.

"That's not going to work. My mom's boyfriend used to do the same thing to me, but it didn't work then either."

***The Next Day***

Sookie hadn't shown up for work yet. My dad wouldn't let me do anything, instead he made me sit with Hoyt and Rene. Sookie came up to our table after finally arriving and the guys ordered Cokes. I just had water.

Sookie was telling us about what happened with Bill and how he was still alive when she thought he had burnt up in the fire that had killed four people. Rene had placed his arm across the back of the booth seat. I could feel his fingers just barely touch my shoulder. It made me uncomfortable.

"Order up!" Terry shouted from the kitchen.

"Hold your horses. I'm coming!" Sookie yelled before turning back to us. "He got my message that something bad might be brewing, so he spent the night in the graveyard."

"Doesn't it get cold out there?" Hoyt asked.

"No, he was in the ground. So after I couldn't find him, then hearing about those four bodies at that burnt up house, you can imagine what I was going through."

"Oh, I mean that must have been terrible." Hoyt said again. This girl was out of her mind. I prefer my guys with a beating heart.

"Oh, you don't know."

"Sookie they said there was only three vampires that come in here the other night." Rene said. He finally moved his arm so he was leaning on his elbows. I almost sighed in relief. "Who's the fourth body?"

"Some poor fangbanger, they're saying. Some vampires like to keep a human around for sex and blood. I'll get your Cokes." She finally walked away.

Some other girl started serving food to customers. I smiled at her as she passed. She was good. My dad would be out of his mind if he didn't hire her.

The next day the police stopped by the bar to talk to my dad. I always got nervous around police ever since I was taken away from my mom when her boyfriend was caught with cocaine.

"And that's it. I got no control over what people do after they leave the bar."

"You remember anyone ever being unusually angry over what those vampires did to your bar?" the Sheriff asked.

"Yeah, everyone. We were all angry. Heck, you might as well interrogate the whole town. Between you and me, I wouldn't be to heart broken if you found who did it. You know what I'm saying? Old Mrs. Stackhouse, on the other hand, now that's a real tragedy. Her and Dawn and Maudette Pickens, one right after the other. You fellas got any lead on that?"

"We're working on some right now." the detective said.

"Good. I'm pulling for you guys."

"Okay." the Sheriff said shrugging his shoulders. "You remember anything else. We'll be having a burger inside. Come on, Andy." They both walked out the door. My dad had an almost relieved look on his face.

"Hey, Sam?" The detective, Andy, came back into the trailer. "One other thing. You recall spending any time out in the woods lately?"

"Yeah. Some. But you knew that all ready, didn't you?" My dad sighed heavily. "Andy. If I tell you, you have to keep this a secret." My dad stood up and moved closer to Andy. "Nobody in town knows. But, uh, I come from a family of naturists."

"Like bird watchers?"

"No. No, not naturalists. Naturists. Naturists believe in a freer, clothing optional kind of lifestyle."

"You're a nudist?" I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing.

"No. No. Good Lord no. But my folks were. I'm embarrassed to say. They spent most of their lives at a nudist colony."

"Oh, yeah? Around here?"

"No, in Texas, just outside of Beaumont. Ever since they passed, I honor their memory once a year by taking a run through the woods the way they used to. It's-it's my private way of mourning. I'm sorry if anybody had to see it." I had to put my hand over my mouth to keep the laughter in.

Once Andy left, I couldn't hold it any longer and burst out laughing. My dad looked at me strangely.

"What?" He asked coming over to me.

"Nudist colony outside Beaumont? Seriously?"

"Hey! I never said I was gonna tell the truth."

He pulled me into a hug and I buried my face into his chest. He smelled just like the Collie that woke me up not two days ago.


	5. Chapter 5

_I was running through the forest behind Merlotte's. The next second, I was face down on the ground. I tried to get up, but a foot slammed me back into the ground. I heard a snap and sharp, numbing needles shot through the lower half of my body. The next second I was on my back, a heavy weight on my stomach, causing the pain in my lower half to intensify. I went to scream, but the man on me wrapped his hands around my neck, cutting off my air supply. I wrapped my hands around his wrists trying to get him off me, but nothing seemed to be working. So, I called the first person that came to mind. _

_"Eric." I breathed out, hoping he would hear me. _

"Dakota? Dakota, Baby wake up."

My eyes snapped open to find my dad leaning over me. I sat up and gently rubbed my neck where the man's hands had been in my dream.

"What was it about this time?"

"Someone was trying to choke me to death behind the bar. I think he broke my spine in the dream too." I shuddered at the memory of the feeling.

"Hey. It's all right. No ones gonna get you. Not while I'm here." My dad laid down next to me and wrapped his arm around me. "I'll stay here until you fall back asleep." I closed my eyes and welcomed my dad's unusual warmth.

My dad had me stay in the trailer most of today. I guess he was really worried about my dream coming true, but that was nonsense, right?

When it got dark, I decided to go into the bar and find my dad. I heard the rustling of leaves behind me so I picked up my pace. A twig snapped to my left and I stopped in my tracks. Stupid idea. Suddenly something tackled me from behind, sending my flying into the dirt. I struggled against the person, man, as much as I could and finally broke free. I made the stupid mistake of running away from the bar and into the woods.

Suddenly there was a snap and I was face down on the forest floor. 'No no no this cannot be happening.' I thought to myself. I tried to get up, but the pain in my ankle and a foot on my back stopped me. The foot pushed me back on the ground with a sickening snap. It felt like a thousand needles were being pushed into my legs over and over again.

I was flipped over on to my back and a heavy weight settled itself on to my stomach, making it hard to breathe. A pair of gloved hands wrapped themselves around my neck, cutting off my air supply. I tried to scream, but nothing came out. Black spots began to cloud my vision and I could feel myself weaken by the second.

When I thought I was going to die at the young age of 15, the man strangling me was thrown off me by some invisible force. I started coughing from the lack of air.

A cold hand moved across my neck before wrapping around the back of my neck and gently pulling me into a sitting position, or at least as far as I could get into one. I felt like the entire bottom half of my body was missing. There was a dull ache in between my shoulder blades.

If I wasn't already sitting, I would have fallen over. Leaning over me was the vampire that had haunted my dreams since I was a child.

His long straw-blonde hair framed his handsome face. His piercing grey blue eyes bore into my light brown ones.

He ran his long fingers over my lips and down my pulse.

"You have grown so beautiful älskling."

"Is this a dream?" I whispered.

Eric chuckled. "No, this is real."

"Are you going to kill me?"

"No. Not yet." He took a deep breath like he was smelling the air before his fangs popped down.  
>He leaned in towards my neck and my heartbeat speed up considerably.<p>

"Shh. It will only hurt momentarily." I gulped the best I could before his fangs pierced my skin.  
>It felt like knives were being pushed into my neck, blood trailing down the pale skin. Eric was right. The pain only lasted seconds before an almost calming, zen feeling came over me. The feeling of my blood leaving my body was almost pleasurabe.<p>

But it ended all to soon. Eric pulled away, blood dripping down his chin. My blood. He pulled his sleeve down and bit into his wrist. He brought it up to my lips and I took a hesitant taste.  
>It was heavenly. I had never tasted anything so fantastic. Before I knew it, I had his wrist in a death grip, keeping it where I could drink.<p>

Eric had to force me away. He gently laid me back down on the ground.

"Sleep älskling. You will be safe now."


	6. Chapter 6

"_I can't believe a vampire came this close. And my own daughter..." _

_"Sam, I think you should sit down. I'll get you a glass of water." _

_"Relax. Obviously she's still alive because she's breathing." _

Everything sounded muffled. Like when you're underwater and someone's trying to talk to you. It all seemed to blend together.

_"I'm a terrible father. She's going to hate me now." _

_"No she won't. And your not a terrible father. If you're worried about her now, you're doing a perfect job." _

_"Here you go, Sam," someone sighed. "She looks just like you when she's sleeping."  
><em>  
><em>"I'm just glad Lafayette found her when he did. She still could have been out there now."<em>

_"Don't think about that." _

My back was starting to hurt, so I shifted myself on to my side. Everyone in the room stopped talking.

"Dakota?" Someone leaned down and gently stroked my face. "Can you hear me?"

"Hmm?"

"Oh thank you Jesus!" Someone who sounded a lot like Arlene shouted.

"Can you open your eyes?"

It felt like two pieces of lead had been glued on my eye lids. I pulled them open slowly, and looked up at my dad through my eye lashes.

"Oh thank God!" My dad pulled me into a hug.

The first thing I noticed was the smell. The greasy smell from the deep fryers penetrated my nostrils. Next the sweet smell of the woods and clean air. Then my dad's smell. It was a mix of pine and shampoo. I could've stayed with my head buried in his chest all day.

But, he pulled away. It seemed like everything I was looking at was in HD. I could see all the dust particles floating though the air. All of the stubble on my dad's chin. The clear grey blue color of his eyes.

"Dakota? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah. Every thing's great."

"You don't hurt anywhere?"

"No. I feel fantastic."

"Sam, Arlene, I need to speak with Dakota. Alone please." Lafayette said.

That was the only time I would ever see Lafayette act serious. Everyone exited the office before Lafayette sat down my by feet.

"Sugar-baby, what happened back there? When I found you, you were a bloody, dirty mess."

"The vampire didn't attack me. Someone else did."

"Did ya see his face?"

I shook my head. "No. He was wearing a hood and gloves. He tried to choke me to death, but the vampire saved me."

"Did he give you his blood honey?" I nodded.

Lafayette sighed and looked down at the floor. "Your daddy's not gonna be happy to hear this, child. You know he don't like vampires. He was upset that you have bite marks on your neck, I don't know what he'd do if he found out _you _drank the vampire's blood."

"Please don't tell him Lafayette. You can tell him about who really attacked me, but please don't tell him about me drinking his blood."

"So the vampire's a he."

"Yeah. Don't tell anyone, but it was the vampire I've been dreaming of my whole life."

"The only way you could've been dreaming about him, is if you'd had his blood before and he's had yours."

"What do you mean?"

"When a vampire drinks your blood, and gives you some of his, it creates a bond between you. He can sense your emotions, feel you at any time. And vice versa. Your senses will also become stronger like sight, smell, taste, sound, and also you will be stronger, faster and have more durability. It will also increase your libido."

I lowered my head so I was staring at the floor. Lafayette slid off the couch and moved where he was squatting in front of me. He gently cupped my chin and pulled my head up so we were looking each other in the eyes.

"There's nothing to worry about, honey-child. Especially not if he's a handsome vampire." I grinned at him. "I need to get back to frying burgers and onion rings for drunk red-necks. The best thing for you to do is just go to sleep."

I laid back down on the couch and closed my eyes. I felt someone place a gentle kiss on my forehead, but when I opened my eyes, no one was there.

The next night, my dad had me stay in the bar with him. He was pretty paranoid, even though Lafayette had convinced him that the vampire did not attack me, a person did.

I was behind the bar when they came in. It was a busy night and my dad had barricaded himself in his office. A dark haired vampire entered in front of Eric and two other vampires I didn't recognize.

Sookie walked up to the dark haired vampire, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. Eric's eyes were on me. I stared back into his bright blue eyes, my heart skipping a beat. He smirked before turning away and walking towards the people seated in the restaurant.

"Do you know him?" Amy, the new waitress, said coming up to me.

"Sort of." I mumbled, my hands shaking.

"Maybe you should go sit down."

"Yeah." I nodded before heading back towards the kitchen.

I sat down on the floor beside the boxes of beer.

"Can we talk about it now?" Tara asked a while later, coming back into the back where my dad was.

"Sure." She pushed an envelope against his chest. "That's not talking about it."

They walked into his office.

"I can't take it, Sam. I appreciate it, I do, but-"

"You're keeping it." I listened in on their conversation with my new found hearing capabilities.

"You can't tell me I'm keeping it."

"It's my money, so, yes, I can."

"You're a stubborn son of a bitch."

"Well, that makes two of us. You really believe you have a demon in you?"

"I think I got something inside me that is scared, and pissed off, and fucked up. Think it's stupid, don't you."

"Look, two years ago, nobody even knew there was such a thing as vampires. Now we gotta deal with them every goddamn day. And who knows what else is out there?"

"Eight hundred bucks? That's a lot of money, Sam."

"Yeah, well, people in this town drink a lot. Well, I'm doing okay."

"So I guess I'm having an exorcism."

"You're welcome."

"Oh Sam, I don't know how to ever thank-" Suddenly Tara stopped in the middle of her sentence.

I crept up and looked in the doorway. My dad was practically sucking face with Tara.

I don't know why I was angry. Maybe it was the fact he chose the one person who hated me out of the entire town. Or maybe it was the fact that I am a selfish bitch and I had only seen my dad and mom being together.

I stormed through the bar. Almost all the customers had left except for a few in the lounge.

"Hey, Dakota, what's the matter-"

I just shook my head and kept walking past Amy. I walked to the trailer with tears in my eyes. I unlocked the door with the key my dad had made for me. I slammed the door and slid down it until I was sitting on the floor.

I pulled my knees to my chest and cried into them. I couldn't believe what was happening to me.


	7. Chapter 7

I laid down in my dad's bed and pulled the covers up to my nose. I inhaled, taking in his scent with my new found ability to smell better. A couple tears escaped my eyes, but I wiped them away furiously. I heard the door open and close. My dad's Collie jumped on the bed and sat by me.

"Hey boy." I smiled and patted his head. He moved closer to my head and laid down. "I don't get it. I really don't. I mean, I had always thought my mom and dad would end up together, but that won't happen because she's dead..." A couple tears slid down my cheeks. I rolled on to my back. The Collie had an almost sympathetic look on his face. "I don't know why I cried. I should be happy for him, but...I don't know anymore." I sat up and hugged the Collie.

I felt like I was being pulled through a tube. The next thing I knew I was staring at my dad in one of the back rooms of the bar. He was staring at something. Suddenly, he began to shrink down until he was an exact replica of the Collie he kept as a pet. He ran out of the door and into the woods. I tried to follow him, but I was sucked back out of the tube.

I pulled away from the Collie breathing heavily.

"Oh my God. Dad?" I asked the Collie. He nodded his head and licked my cheek. "You're...you're a shape shifter?" He jumped off the bed and ran out of the room.

"I'm so stupid. I am so stupid."

"You're not stupid." My dad said standing in the doorway, wearing only a pair of jeans.

"I am to. I just ranted about my problems to you without even realizing it. You hate me now don't you." I asked with tears in my eyes.

"No. I don't hate you." My dad said sitting on the bed. "Every one's entitled to their own opinions. And your not supposed to agree with everything I do. You're a teenager. You're supposed to rebel against me. I'm sorry you had to figure my secret out. How did you find out anyway?"

"I-I don't know what happened. When I hugged you, it felt like I was being pulled through a tube two sizes to small. Then I saw you in the back of the bar staring at something. Then you started shrinking down into the Collie and you ran into the woods. I tried to follow, but I was sucked back out."

He looked like he was pondering something deeply.

"We need to talk to Sookie. But now's not the time. You need to get some sleep." I laid down and he pulled the covers over me.

"I love you, sweet pea. You know that right?"

I nodded. "I love you too." He kissed my forehead and shut the light off. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

_I was running through a field. It was dark and the moon was shining bright. I looked over my shoulder, but someone grabbed me around the waist from the side. I laughed as they picked me up and set me on their hip like a child. _

_I stared into his blue eyes and smiled at him. He smiled back and leaned in, pressing his lips against my neck. He laid me on the ground, hovering his body over mine. His lips moved along my neck, up my jaw to my lips. _

_Fireworks went off in the sky as his cold yet warm lips pressed against mine. Hand moved down to the bottom of my dress, his hand sliding against the warm skin as he pushed the dress up farther and farther..._

I*I*I*I*I*I*I

I felt kind of alone at Arlene and Renè's party. I hardly knew anyone in town despite being in the bar. I sat alone at one of the tables, sipping a diet coke. Everyone was out dancing to a slow song when Renè came up to me.

"Everyone deserves a dance." I took his hand and let him lead me to the floor.

He wrapped his arm around my waist and I took his hand. I tried to concentrate all my energy on him.

_If it weren't for that stupid vampire, I would've had her. _I heard him in my mind. My mind flashed to his and I saw myself running though the forest.

His hand moved to my low back. "So I heard about you getting attacked last night." Rene said.

"Yeah."

"Must've been pretty scary, huh?"

"It was. I thought I was gonna die."

He muttered something that sounded a lot like 'I wish I could've...' before he pulled me a little closer. "Did you recognize who done it?"

"No, I didn't see his face. I was to busy trying to run away." I tried not to look in his eyes.

He chuckled a little. "Of course."

The song ended and Rene kissed my hand and shot me a grin before walking away from the dance floor. I sat down at one of the tables closest to the bar. Renè was the man who almost killed me! I couldn't believe it.

I looked around, searching for my dad, but I couldn't find him anywhere. I sighed and figured he must have been in the bar. I got up and walked towards the back entrance. I felt a pair of eyes on me, but I didn't pay any mind to it.

The bar was dimly lit and oddly quiet.

"Dad?" I yelled. I waited a couple seconds for an answer. "Dad?" I yelled a little louder when no answer came.

Suddenly the lights went out. I blindly made my way into the kitchen to find the spare flashlight that was placed there.

Suddenly, a dark shape jumped out in front of me. I tried to scream, but my air was cut off when a hand wrapped around my neck. I couldn't believe this was happening again.

My legs gave out beneath me and the person lowered me to the floor.

"Your vampire wont be able to save you this time." He growled.

"You like being a fangbanger, huh? You like having a dead person fuck you?"

Tears slipped down my face and I shook my head as best as I could. His grip on my neck slackened and he straddled my waist.

"How about I show you what it's like to be with a human." He growled in my ear.

"No, please!" I said, my voice hoarse.

His hand undid my belt and pulled it off as his nose ran along my neck until he found the light imprint of fang marks left from Eric. He unbuttoned my pants and bit down on the fang marks, drawing a little blood.

"You like that, fangbanger?"

I tried to scream as loud as possible, but nothing would come out. I tried desperately to wiggle out from under him, but his knees tightened painfully against my hips. His hand slipped down my pants and my mind went into panic mode. I began looking for anything that I could use as a weapon as he began feeling me over my underwear.

I caught sight of a pan handle in my reach. I grabbed it and hit him as hard as I could in the head. The loud bang echoed across the bar and he fell to the side. I dropped the pan and got up as fast as I could and bolted out of the kitchen and towards the door. The door opened and the lights flicked on and I ran straight into my dad and latched on to him.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

He held me at arm's length and looked me over. His mouth opened when he saw the blood on my neck and the hand marks on my neck.


	8. Chapter 8

My dad immediately took me over to Sookie's house once the party was over. He was currently trying to call Tara while making sure the yard was clear. Sookie had let me borrow one of her nightgowns and she was grabbing blankets and pillows for my dad to sleep downstairs.

"I'll just be right back, okay?" Sookie said before going downstairs.

**3RD POV:**

Sam hung up his phone as Sookie came down the stairs.

"Hey." He said turning to her.

"I let her change clothes and I put those in the wash."

Sookie unfolded a blanket as Sam took the pillows off the couch.

"Did she say who it was, or who she thought it was?"

"She said Rene, but I couldn't get in her mind enough to tell. Everything was kind of jumbled."

"Rene? Why would she say him?"

"I don't know, but I did get something that looked familiar."

"Anyone you'd know? Anyone from the bar?"

"No one I could recognize for sure."

"Look, I think we should call the police."

"And what would she say?"

Sam sighed. "What did they look like?"

"Well, she was young, pretty, she was wearing an apron."

"Apron. You mean like a mom?"

"More like a waitress."

**DAKOTA POV**

I leaned up against the wall of Sookie's room. I could still feel Rene's hands on my neck, trying to squeeze the life out of me. I still couldn't shake the feeling that he was going to come through the wall and try and kill me again.

I stood up and made my way down the stairs.

"You hear from Tara?" I heard Sookie ask.

"No." My dad said.

I waited a couple seconds before entering the living room. Both of them looked up at me.

Sookie looked back at my dad. "Well, good night."

"Night."

Sookie got up and walked towards the stairs. I walked over to my dad and he pulled my down onto his knee. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his shoulder.

"Hey, you know I love you right?" I nodded my head. "And I'm not going to let anything else happen to you."

I pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. "You promise?"

"I cross my heart." His hand came up and cupped my cheek. "I just got you and I'm not going to let you go that easily." He kissed my forehead. "Goodnight baby." He hugged me again.

"Night." I whispered.

I made my way up the stairs to Sookie's room. She was already lying in bed when I walked in. I climbed in next to her, my back to her.

"Sookie?" I whispered.

"Yeah?" She whispered back.

"Don't turn the light off." I curled up under the covers and shut my eyes, trying to ignore the throbbing along my neck.

**3****RD**** POV**

Sam walked into the kitchen next morning to find Sookie sitting at the kitchen table looking at a book. "Good morning. I didn't know you were up."

"Eggs and sausage warm in the oven."

"Oh, thanks." He slipped his shirt over his head. "Dakota up yet?"

"No. She was sleeping so well I figured I'd just let her be, considering what she's been through the past couple days."

**DAKOTA'S POV **

I woke up with the warm sun shining on my face. I had slept better than I had in the past month last night. I rolled out of bed and found the bathroom. Sookie had set my now clean clothes from last night on the counter.

I did my business and changed before going downstairs.

"Well, I can't leave her here. She'll have a panic attack if we leave her alone and I'm not risking her getting almost killed again."

I entered the room and my dad turned to me. "Hey sweetheart." I walked over and hugged him. "How did you sleep?"

"Really good." I pulled away. "Mornin' Sookie."

"Mornin'. Are we going to go?"

"Yeah. Are you hungry?" My dad asked me.

"No."

"Alright. Let's go then."

"Where are we going?" I asked as we left Sookie's house.

"Big Pattie's Pie House. We're looking for information on someone."

The three of us got into my dad's car and drove for almost a half an hour before we turned into Big Pattie's Pie House parking lot.

We entered the restaurant and a young, bored looking blonde woman greeted us.

"Welcome to Big Pattie's Pie House. What can I get for you?"

"Um, we were wondering if you knew anyone by the name of Cindy? She used to work here before she was killed." Sookie said.

"No, ma'am, no, sir. I don't know any Cindy. But I can recommend the fried apple pie, the frozen Hawaiian pie, the chocolate pecan praline pie, the chess pie, the seven layer Jell-O pie." My dad looked at Sookie and raised his eyebrows.

"They'll have the peanut butter pie and the Spunky Hollow honey pineapple pie." An older black man who was sitting at the bar said. "Please, Harley."

"Gotcha, Buster."

"We, will?" My dad asked, walking over to the man.

"You won't get nothing from her. She only been here two weeks. Comes from three generations of dumb as rocks. Hell, they named her after a motorcycle."

"That's real interesting, but-" Sookie said.

"If you wanna know anything about Cindy Marshall, I'll talk to you. And I'll eat that pie too. Buster Boisseau."

"I'm Sookie Stackhouse, Sam Merlotte and Dakota Merlotte." We took a seat by him. I nervously looked around to make sure I was safe.

"Can you tell us-"

"First things first." Buster took a bite of one of the pies.

"You knew Cindy?" Sookie asked.

"A little bit. Let's see, I met her two years ago. She moved into town with her brother a couple of months before…" He paused and took another bite of pie.

"Before what?" My dad asked.

"Well, I hate to be the one to tell you, but somebody murdered that little gal. Just choked the life right out of her."

"Poor thing." Sookie sad. "Did they find out who did it?"

"Nope. It's a mystery."

"Where's her brother? Could we talk to him?"

"Don't know how. He was gone by the time they found her body. The police though maybe he's dead too or maybe he killed her. But there wasn't no evidence one way or the other."

"What was his name?" My dad asked.

"Let me think on that. Nobody hardly knew him. Let's see, D something. Dave, Drew. No, Drew. Drew Marshall."

"What was Cindy like?" Sookie asked.

"Oh, cute as a button, a little wild, fun-loving, always nice to me. But people talked, you know."

"Talked about what?"

"Vampires. They say she was carrying on with the vampires. I didn't believe her. I mean, what kind of woman would do such a thing?" My dad quickly put a hand on Sookie's shoulder to stop her from saying anything. "Harley, this is the Texas Special Sawdust pie. Nobody ordered that."

"Well, it's not much."

"We got a name."


	9. Chapter 9

_I was standing in a dimly lit room. There was a horrible stench and I could faintly hear water dripping somewhere. My eyes landed on Eric where he was leaning over someone a few feet in front of me. _

_Eric pulled up a scruffy looking man and pushed him towards the stairs. Suddenly the man pressed a silver cross to Eric's cheek. I jumped at the animalistic growl that came from Eric. The man ran past me, but Eric caught him and dragged him down the stairs. _

_Eric started biting him and pulling him apart, sending blood flying everywhere, some landing on me and some on the other people in the room. _

_Eric dropped the man and turned and looked at me. He came at me at vampire speed and pinned me to the ground. I stared into his eyes, the animalistic look in them burned into my brain. He bit into my neck, making me scream in pain._

_He wrapped his other hand around my neck and squeezed. My chest felt like there was something heavy sitting on it and suddenly Eric pulled away. _

_But instead of seeing Eric, I saw Rene, blood dripping down his chin. He took off his belt and wrapped it around my neck. I opened my mouth and screamed. _

I woke up screaming and feeling like I was falling, only to fall off my bed. I landed on the floor with a thud. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before opening them. I heard the door to the trailer close and my heart sped up even faster than it was before.

I gulped when my bedroom door was opened. The light switched on and buried my head in my comforter to try and block out the light.

"Dakota?" I sighed in relief. It was only my dad. "What are you doing on the floor?" He squatted down next to me.

"I fell off the bed…." I paused, now noticing the white bandage on his head. "What happened to your head?"

"Come on." He held out his hand. I grabbed it and he helped me up. "I'll make breakfast and explain."

And so he explained how I was right and Rene was the killer and how he had gone to Sookie's house with her, chased her into the graveyard, beat her up, how he had attacked Rene, got hit in the head, beat up, then Sookie decapitated Rene with a shovel.

"I slept through all that?" I asked as he shoved a plate of pancakes in front of me.

"Yeah. What happened the night of Rene and Arlene's party?"

I sighed and stared at my blueberry pancakes. I explained how he had tried to rape me then strangle me and how I had hit him on the head with a pan.

"What time is it anyways?" I asked looking at the dark sky outside.

"About 6 in the morning." My dad said looking at his watch.

"Fabulous." I said through a mouthful of pancake.

I rubbed my neck where bruises from Rene's hands were forming.

"Are they sore?" My dad asked. I nodded.

2 WEEKS LATER

My dad had finally let me out of the trailer. Most of the bruises had faded, but there were some light purple ones. The bite mark had bruised over. My dad told me it looked like I had a bunch of hickies.

It was lunch time and there weren't very many people in the bar. A young man sitting alone at a booth, two women at a table close to him and an older, balding man sitting at the bar.

"Hey, Dakota, could you run this to table 3 for me?" Sookie asked, holding out a glass of Coke.

"Sure." I said getting up from my spot behind the bar.

"Do you see all those hickies? She must be an awful slut for her age."

"Do you know who it was?"

"I heard it was Jason Stackhouse."

"I knew he was a man whore, but I never thought he'd stoop that low." The two women at the table were talking what they thought was quietly.

"Ever wonder why she just showed up now?"

They paused and watched my as I walked to the booth with the young man in it. I sat the Coke in front of him.

"I heard it was because her mother got tired of her being a slut and sent her to live with her dad." The two women began talking again.

"Can I get you anything else?" I smiled the best that I could.

"Nah, I'm good." He smiled back.

"I heard she got pregnant, so her mom kicked her out and she came to find her dad…."

I turned and walked back towards the bar, tears rolling down my face. I went back towards my dad's office and sat beside a stack of Bud Light boxes. I pulled my knees to my chest and let the tears flow.

"Dakota?" I heard Tara call. "Dakota, what's wrong?" She knelt down in front of me.

"Why do you care? So you can make rumors about me too?"

"No, I'd never do that. I care about you, Dakota. More than you probably know." She took my hand. "Now, tell me what's wrong."

"Those two women at the table are making up rumors about me, saying that my bruises are hickies and that Jason Stackhouse gave them to me and how I'm a slut and how my mom kicked me out and how I got pregnant and I had to move here because she didn't want me anymore." I broke down sobbing.

Tara pulled me into a hug and let me cry on her shoulder.

"I'm going to go set them right." Tara stood up and marched out to the two women. I jumped up and followed her, stopping at the bar.

"What's wrong with you two?" Tara started yelling. "Making up rumors about people you don't even know, let alone a teenage girl. And no those aren't hickies on her neck, she was one of those girls who was attacked by Rene and those are left over bruises and she hasn't even met Jason Stackhouse let alone do anything with him! And her mom didn't kick her out; her mom was killed by vampires in front of her!" Sookie and Arlene appeared beside me. "She doesn't need anyone like you making up rumors about her; she's having a hard enough time! I'm proud of how strong she is! So you can either stop spreading rumors or get the fuck out of the bar!"

My dad came out of his office and walked towards Tara. Sookie and Arlene followed him. I stood where I was, rooted to the spot. I was shocked Tara had stood up for me like that. I thought she hated me, but she had just yelled at two women for me.

I didn't know what to think.


	10. Chapter 10

Over the past couple days, my dad had been getting moodier and moodier. He seemed to crack at the smallest stuff and I noticed he had been drinking often.

The bar was unusually empty today. The new waitress my dad had hired, Daphne, was one of the first people in besides me and my dad. My dad had me cleaning glasses because Tara wasn't in yet.

I spoke too soon. Tara came in the front door with a dark haired woman who just seemed to radiate power. I stopped washing the glass that I was working on and stared at her. Her very presence made my skin crawl. My head felt like someone was slamming it into a concrete wall.

She grabbed a menu and started talking to my dad like they were best friends. She took a seat at one of the booths and my dad was still talking to her.

"Dakota?" I snapped back into reality when I heard my name being called. "Dakota?"

I turned towards Tara. "What?"

"Are you alright? You don't look so good."

"Oh, um….I just….." I couldn't think straight.

"Look, why don't you go lay down in Sam's office for a while. I can handle this."

I finished washing the glass and turned the water off. "Oh, and Tara?"

"Yeah?" She turned to me.

"Thanks for yesterday. That was really sweet of you." I smiled at her.

I made my way back towards my dad's office. I ran my fingers through my hair, which was almost down to my low back now. I sat down and pulled my knees to my chest to try and get rid of the nauseous feeling in my stomach.

"Daphne!" I heard my dad yell.

I got up and walked around the corner to find the new waitress Daphne with my dad standing over a pile of food on the floor.

"That's right on my feet! How am I supposed to ignore that?"

"I'm sorry."

"What crawled in his ass and died?" I asked myself out loud.

Later that evening, I decided to take a walk. I walked in the woods behind Merlotte's away from the bar.

I got so caught up in my thoughts that I hadn't even looked where I was going. Now I was lost and cold. I could just faintly see the moon through the trees, which gave me a little light. I heard a rustle behind me so I walked a little faster. I could hear footsteps behind me.

"Hello?" I turned around and asked the darkness. There was nothing. I turned and started speed walking.

Then there was heavy breathing behind me, almost like snorting. I stopped and slowly turned around and looked behind me. There was some sort of bull like creature a few feet from me. I slowly started walking backwards before turning around and full out sprinting.

I ran until there was no ground beneath me and I was falling. I hit the ground hard knocking the wind out of myself, even though it was only a 3 foot drop. I started army crawling as fast as I could before pain shot through my lower back, stopping me in my tracks. I screamed as white hot pain took over my body. I felt like I was choking.

There was a rush of cool air and a pair of cold hands brushed the hair out of my face. I felt something rise in my throat before I started coughing it up. There was a scream from close by.

"Jessica! Got get Sookie and her car!" A familiar voice shouted. I was turned over by the person- vampire- and cradled in their arms. I finally got a short look at the vampire. Bill. "Dakota." How did he know my name? "Dakota can you tell me what attacked you?"

"Bull...person...didn't get...a good look." I managed to sputter out.

Light flooded over us and I could hear a loud sound like an engine running.

"Bill?"

"Sookie, I need you to drive to Fangtasia. Jessica, get in the passenger side." I caught a glimpse of a red headed girl before Bill got in the back seat.

Nearly 10 minutes later I started having sharp pains in my chest every time I would inhale.

"She's fading quickly. Eric already has the doctor there."

Hope grew inside me as I heard Eric's name. I knew Eric would never let anything happen to me.  
>The car came to a sudden stop.<p>

"Jessica, as your maker I command you to drive home. Sookie, go with her."

"I'm not leaving Dakota."

"Sookie please."

"No. I care about Dakota almost as much as I care about you." I rested my head against Bill's chest. 

"Fine." Bill got out of the car and carried me towards the door.

Sookie knocked on the door and I placed my forehead against Bill's neck. My body was burning. Eric opened the door and I almost didn't recognize him. His hair was now short and slicked back. He led Bill to a cushion with a blanket spread over it. He laid me down on my stomach and backed away from me. The doctor cut the back of my shirt open. I heard Sookie gasp.

"What kind of doctor are you?" I asked her as she put on latex gloves.

"The healing kind. I'm Dr. Ludwig. What's your-" She touched one of the scratches on my back and I couldn't help but cry out a little from the pain. I saw Eric flinch from the corner of my eye.

"Dakota. D-Dakota M-Merlotte. Am I dying?"

"Yes." Se said simply.

"No! She can't die!" Sookie shouted.

"Well, we don't have a lot of choices. She's been poisoned. You ever heard of Komodo dragons? Their mouths are teeming with bacteria. After one has bitten you, it will track you for hours, days, just waiting for the toxins to slowly eat away at your nervous system till you're good and helpless, then it will devour you alive." It was becoming harder and harder to breathe.

"I was scratched by a dragon?"

"No, but the poison is similar, but way more efficient. Don't think I've seen it. It's hard to tell without further testing and we don't have that kind of time. Give us some privacy. I need to remove her clothing."

"Sookie." I said, looking at her. She knelt down by my head. "She-can-stay." I choked out before more of the frothy liquid came up.

Sookie helped Dr. Ludwig remove my shirt. She fished around in her bag before pulling a blue vial out.

"Sookie, I'm going to need you to hold her as still as possible. Dakota, this is going to sting. A lot."

She began pouring the substance in the vial on the cuts. I felt like my back was being lit on fire. I couldn't hold in the screams. Whatever she was doing to my back was putting me in more pain than I had ever felt before.

"Stop!" I screamed. "Stop!" I felt a couple wet drops hit my cheek and I knew Sookie was crying.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the pain dulled and Bill and Eric came back into the room. Eric knelt down in front of me and tried his best to smile at me, but I knew he was in as much pain as I was. Dr. Ludwig began wiping my back clean. Eric took my hand in one of his and brushed some of the hair out of my face with the other.

"You can give her blood now. Her body should accept it."

Bill and Eric shared a glance before Bill raised his arm and his fangs popped out. Eric was at his side in a flash, Bills wrist in his grasp.

"She's already had my blood once before. Allow me." Bill moved aside and Eric bit into his wrist before moving it to my lips. I allowed the sweet substance to flow down my throat.

"I expect my payment by the end of this week." Dr. Ludwig said walking to the door.

"It's always a pleasure doing business with you." Eric said.

"Fuck off."

"Clearly the pleasure is one sided." Bill said.

"She's not a fan of the fang. She tolerates us because our blood is of such great value to healers." Eric pulled his wrist away from my mouth. "Now, we don't want to overcook you." He gently laid my head back on the cushion.

The door to the bar opened and two sets of footsteps could be heard. I could see a blonde woman in pink and a large man with dark hair dressed in black from behind Eric. They were both covered in dirt.

"The area has been scanned." The blonde woman said, placing her hands on her hips.

"Tracks were human but the smell was distinctly animal." The man said.

"What kind?"

"A filthy one." The blonde replied.

"We didn't recognize it."

"Send an alert through the appropriate channels. Find out what the neighbors know. And, Pam," 'Pam' turned back around. "those were great pumps." He smirked as they walked away. He gently kissed my forehead before standing up.

"We can't take her yet." Bill said.

"Of course not. I'll make sure she's taken care of."

"Well I'm not leaving her." Sookie stepped forward.

"Longshadow kept a coffin in back. He liked to feed before resting so it might be a bit messy, but you're welcome to it. Sookie can stay out here on the couch."

Eric gently wrapped a blanket around my shoulders before he lifted me into his arms.

"I want to thank you for your hospitality." Bill said. "And for saving Dakota's life."

"I'm sure there's a way she can repay me." He said before turning back around and walking out of the room.

He walked down the stairs to where his coffin was. There was a bed next to the coffin.

"What did you do to your hair?" I whispered, gently taking a soft strand between my fingers.

He chuckled and gently took my hand, kissing each of my fingers. "You need to sleep."

He tucked me in before going over to the coffin.

"Eric?" I whispered. He was at my side in an instant. "Will you stay with me? At least until I fall asleep?"

"Of course, älskling." He climbed in and gently pulled me against his chest, wary of the now healing scratches on my back.


	11. Chapter 11

**IMPORTANT: You should read this:**

Me Angrily Scolding All Those Who Disrespect Their Parents

So four years ago, my life was fine. I had a mom and a dad who both loved me very much, but I took that for granted. On December 2009, my mom was diagnosed with cancer and for two months I had no idea whether she would still be alive when I woke up the next morning or not. She lived for two years and I took advantage of that. She died two years ago, and I realize now that my dad has been remarried for almost two years now, that I took advantage of the fact I had two years with her. I was disrespectful and I wanted the spotlight on me as it had been before all of that happened. I thought everything would be okay and my mom would get to see me graduate. But now I'm almost 7 months from graduating high school and my mom won't be there to see that. Or watch me get married, or meet her grandchildren. I can't even call her every weekend to talk to her. She's gone.

So everyone who takes advantage of their parents, who hates their guts, just be happy you can talk to them. Don't take advantage of the fact they're there, because they might not be. That can all change in an instant. You'll realize one day what your parents mean to you. It's true you don't really know what you have until it's gone. So the next time you talk back to your mother or take advantage of your dad to get what you want, stop and think about what life would be like if they weren't there, because you are truly lucky to have your parents. You don't realize it now, but one day you'll understand what I'm saying. Hug your mom and tell her how much you love her because the day will come when you won't be able to do that anymore.


	12. Chapter 12

Hey guys. So I know it's been a while since I've updated anything. A long while, but I've had a really bad summer and my depression (I hate putting names to illnesses) is getting worse because of it, but I promise if I can get my creative juices flowing then I'll update some more. But just know I'm not ignoring anything, I've just had a tough past few months that aren't getting any easier. I still love you guys.


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